(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for fixing children's seats in cars by means of a seat belt.
(b) Prior Art
In the case of using the child's seat in the car, safety must be established by fixing the body of the child's seat onto a car seat to prevent the child's seat from being loosened on the car seat by vibration and the like.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show one of the conventional fixing structures which have been provided to meet this need. The child's seat 1 comprises a back portion 2 made of synthetic resin, a seat portion 3 provided with side supports 7, and a frame 5 arranged on the backside of the back portion 2 and provided with a window-like clearance 4 through which a seat belt 6 is passed. A cut-away portion 8 is provided at the front end portion of each of the side supports 7. When the seat belt 6 is passed either through the clearance 4 or cut-away portions 8, the child's seat 1 can be reliably held on a car seat 9, with its backside forward in the former case or with its front side forward in the latter case, as shown in FIG. 2.
The back portion 2 is provided with upper and lower belt holes 10a, 10b and 11, 11. A retractor 12 of the emergency lock type is attached to the underside of the seat portion 3 of the child's seat 1 and a belt 13 for the child extends from the retractor 12. This child's belt 13 further extends passing behind the back portion 2 of the child's seat 1, through the upper belt holes 10a and 10a from behind, through the clearance 4, and again through the lower belt holes 11 and 11 from behind. The front end of the child belt 13 is connected to a protection pad 15 to which a tongue 14 is attached while a buckle 16 is attached to the seat portion 3. When the tongue 14 is engaged with the buckle 16, the child can be fixed, as shown in FIG. 2.
In the case of this fixing structure wherein the seat belt is passed through the clearance 4 in the child's seat body, however, it takes more time as compared with a case where an adult is seat-belted. In addition, it is extremely troublesome to fix the child's seat body at the predetermined position in the car.